🐘 Black Ivory Coffee: Elephant Coffee (and $1,100 a kilo)

In the world of coffee, there are rare, exclusive, and often even bizarre products.
One of these is undoubtedly Black Ivory Coffee , one of the most expensive — and curious — varieties ever.

🇨🇦 The idea was born from the mind of a Canadian entrepreneur, but took shape in the mountains of northern Thailand , where some elephants unknowingly participate in a process as natural as it is extraordinary.

🏷️ A name that speaks of luxury and rarity

Black Ivory literally means “ black ivory ”, an evocative name, which recalls something precious, exclusive, almost mystical.

💰 The price? Over $1,100 per kilogram .
☕ A cup can cost $50 to $60 at boutique hotels and select coffee shops.

🌱 How was Black Ivory Coffee born?

The secret of this coffee is not in the botanical variety (which is Arabica , common and cultivated in many areas of the world), but in the digestive process of elephants 🐘.

The process is simple… at least in theory:

1. Elephants naturally feed on ripe coffee berries, along with their normal herbivorous diet.

2. The drupes pass through the digestive tract for 20–70 hours .

3. During digestion, stomach enzymes break down the proteins responsible for bitterness.

4. The result? A reduction in bitter notes and a sweeter, rounder, and more delicate final taste.

📌 Interesting fact: it is estimated that over 30 kg of berries are needed to obtain just 1 kg of whole grains .

💩 From feces to filter (yes, really)

When the elephants… break free, the operators manually collect the excrement in search of the expelled grains.
These come:

• hand-selected

• wash thoroughly

• naturally dried

• carefully toasted

Many grains are fragmented or damaged , and it is precisely this very low yield that significantly affects the final cost of the product.

🍯 How does it taste?

Those who have tasted it describe it as:

• soft and not very bitter

• with notes of spices, chocolate and malt

• almost acid-free

But, as with Kopi Luwak (civet coffee), not all tasters agree that the taste justifies the price.
Many feel that it is the experience—and the rarity—that makes it worth the cost.

🔎 Learn more on the official website: blackivorycoffee.com

⚖️ Ethical question

One point in favor of Black Ivory Coffee is that the elephants involved are not forced to eat only coffee, nor are they raised in cages.
The project collaborates with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation , an organization that works for the welfare of animals and local communities .

👉 A portion of the proceeds goes to support environmental causes and projects for local families in Thailand.

🧠 Conclusion: genius or bizarre?

Whether it's a stroke of genius or a successful marketing ploy, Black Ivory Coffee is certainly an example of out-of-the-ordinary innovation .
An idea that led to the creation of one of the rarest and most expensive coffees in the world… starting from elephant dung.

🎯 It's truly a case of saying that — with intelligence and vision — even "poop" can become black gold!

…a bit like what happens with Kopi Luwak …